ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — a permit
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. scale — in music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. snap — to click
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — a line
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com